Top 10 Books of 08

1-Recalling the Hope of Glory - Allen Ross

• This book is fantastic. It is a biblical theology of worship that provides deep insights into the progression of worship in the story of the bible. If you want to understand worship this book, along with 'Worship by the Book' by DA Carson, has to be on your list.
  

2-Read the Bible for a Change - Ray Lubeck

• Lubeck's work is one of the most helpful books I have ever read. His explanation of how to read narrative texts, and showing how different genres, types, and forms are to be read is stuff every believer needs to know.
  

3-The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni

• This book is possibly the easiest book I had to read all year. Despite this, Lencioni unpacks some of the most important leadership and team principles I have ever read. If you are a leader or are working on a team, this book could be immensely helpful to you.
  

4-Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome - R Kent Hughes

• Hughes almost left the ministry because he felt so frustrated and like a failure. Luckily he didn't, and he wrote this book instead. In it, he destroys the myth that so many Americans have; that numerical growth is equal to success. He explains what success for a pastor really looks like, and attacks the idol of numbers in an appluadable way.
  

5-God’s Greater Glory - Bruce Ware

• This book gives such a stellar treatment of God and providence that I had to put it on my list. This book is very clear and very helpful for anyone who wrestles with questions about providence and the nature of God.
  

6-Lectures to My Students - Charles Spurgeon

• All pastors should have to read this book. Spurgeon's insights are life changing, and they should be. While some of these chapters are dated, as they were meant to be practical to the pastors of that day, most of them are still immensely helpful.
  

7-The Reason for God - Tim Keller

• One of the best explanations and defenses of the faith I have ever read. Keller's ability to speak in an intellectual way to non-Christians is unparalelled, and thus this book is helpful to all pastors who genuinely want to know how to explain the faith.
  

8-Questioning Evangelism - Randy Newman

• Newman's book profoundly affected me because his point, that our evangelism should be dominated by listening and asking questions, is so simple and true, yet so often practiced. If you read this book, you will find your evangelism benefits greatly.
  

9-Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work - John Gottman

• If you want to have successful relationships, and a sucessful marraige, there is little better to read than Gottman. While not a Christian, his breakdown in this book of how to build a marriage, and how to avoid the pitfalls that destroy marriage, may be one of the most important things you can learn and share with other believers.
  

10-Parenting with Love and Logic - Foster Kline and Jim Fay

• This book is great because its goal is to equip parents to raise fully functioning kids who can make their own decisions and understand that choices have consequences. This book should be required fare for all parents. Read it and see why.

11- okay so I am adding one more...sort of. Earlier this year I read a book called "True Story" by James Choung. The book is a narrative. In other words, it is a ficticious story that is so-so at best. However, his diagram at the end of his book explains how to share the gospel in a new and extremely powerful way. I have altered it significantly, as I think atonement and other concepts need to be more heavily emphasized. But reading his 4 circles model, and learning how to explain the biblical storyline on a napkin, as this book teaches, will be extremely helpful for all who read it...Just alter it a little and talk about the cross, ok?